Desludging mechanism



Sept 21, 1943. G. E. BEARDSLEY, JR 2,330,024

DESLUDGING- MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1942 2 sneets-sne'et'l ATTORNEY Sept. 21, 1943. G. E. BEARDSLEY, JR

DESLUDGING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR @Eerdsl Z? n M ATTCRNEY indicated at 32, has an interiorly beveled rim portion 34 secured to a cylindrical hub portion 36 by an annular end wall 33 and the hub portion 36 is supported upon the overlapping portion of the hub 26 of the inner clutch member 24 by a suitable plain anti-friction bearing 4E) so that the outer clutch member 32 is freely rotatable relative to the inner clutch member and the lay shaft 22. Theouter clutch member 32 is also provided with peripheral gear teeth 42 which mesh with the teeth of the gear I4 to provide a driving connection between the power shaft lll and the impeller sleeve l2 throughthe gears I 8 and 20, the inner and outer clutch meinbers 24 and 32 and the gears 42 and I4. A similar clutch unit may be provided driven by the gear I8 and meshing with the gear I6 to provide a diierent gear ratio between the shaft l and the sleeve l2.

A fluid seal between the inner clutch memberv` 24 and the shaft, 22; is provided by the annular member 44 and the seal ring 46 and a somewhat similarY huid sealis provided between the outer clutchmember 32 andthe shaft 212iv by the annular member ,48. and the seal ring-5,0 bearing against the` interior f` an annular extension 52 provided on the endwall vof theouter. member. A, fluid seal between the. tw.o;clutch members. 2,4` and 32M is provided by the sealri'ng. 54,carried by a cylindrical portion 56` on theinner member 24 andpbearing against the inner surface of an in.- ternal annular portion 58` of theouter member, 32. By this arrangement the annular space surrounding the huhriortionStx oiytheouter membei', oetWeenpthe annular portion 3G of the inner clutch member 24 andithe end wall 3850i the.

outer clutch member, constitutes an expansion V chamber for the clutch operating iuid sothat iiuidunderv pressure in this chamber .will move thelinner clutch member 24relative to fthe. outer ciutcl1 mcmber to bring the beveled outer surfaceof, the inner clutchmember.` in contact with thefriction material 6U. carriedA internally by the portioniof the outer clutch member. y

Fluid under pressureioroperating theclutchis led to achamber 62 inthe supporting. casing. at

theleft hand end of theshart 22 as` viewecliin*r Fig. L .andirom this chamber nows into theinterior ofthe shaft toabore 64 within which isV disposed areciprocableyaive plug ii.. The-space Within the hollow sliaft..z`2 to the right of` the plug 6 6, as.v1ewed in Fig. 1, visfi'lied atfall times during engine operation with lubricating iiuid at a pressure somewhat below the pressure of-the :huid admitted tothe chamber tsothat, if the chamber 62 is connected with-drain, the plug is moved tothe positionillustrated in Fig. l in which it'cuts oifthe channels, one of which indicated at. 68, leading from the bore 64 to the clutch operating chamber. When pressure fluid is admitted to thev chamber uz, however, the plug 66, is moved tothe right, as viewedvin Fig. 1,1 and the :duid under4 pressure hows through the channel 68` to the interior oi' the clutch to move the inner clutch member into engagement with the friction material 6U. In the arrangement illustrated, the reciprocable plug 66 is mounted in a plug 'Irigidly secured in the end ofthe hollow` shaft 22 and provided with channels, as inclicated at l2, for supplying lubricating iluid to the clutch bearings.

tively fixed member 44 as one abutment and an abutment l5 formed on the inner clutch member.

The fluid chamber is relatively narrow thus requiring a relatively small volume of hydraulic fluid to ll the clutch and thereby limiting the amount of sludge or sediment introduced into the interior of the clutch. The sides of this chamber also slope smoothly radially outward providing no place within the clutch chamber where sludge or sediment can collect. The sludge, which is heavier than the hydraulic uid, is thus constrained by centrifugal force incident to the rapid rotation of the clutch, to pass radially outwardly through the clutch chamber and collect in the radial pockets 'it from which it is discharged through the radial apertures i8 provided in the peripheral portion or" the outer clutch memberv at the apices oi' the various pockets 16. As is particularly shown in Fig. 2, there are a relatively large number of radial pockets 16, ten being shown in the arrangement illustrated. This relativelylarge number oi'4 pockets provides that` each` pocket has a relatively narrowv inner. end and that: the sidewalls of the pockets can thus be made-radially steep without requiring an undulylarge radial dimension 'for the outer clutch memberu between the open ends of the pockets and the apicesthereo. Each pocket is provided at or near its apex with a sludge elimihating aperture leading toA the exterior of` the clutch andan arrangement utilizing ten sludge eliminating'. pockets will consequently requireten apertures leadingirom the apices oi the pockets toftheexterior ci the outer clutch member. As these apertures have to be large enough 'so that theywiil notbecoiiie onoiiedor blocked by sludge orr sediment passing therethrough, it is obvious that the clutchwould pass a large quantity o1' nuid i1'. all oi' these apertures wereopen all ofthe time. In order to reduce the quantity ofA oil passed, an annular ring 86 is mounted in-a groove in the outer clutch member overlying theouter ends ofthe apertures it so that the ring covers all of theaperturesin-a manner to substantially preventy the i'low oi' :duid through the apertures. li'he ring itseit 1s provided with one or more radial apertures, as indicated at 82, which willl registerwith corresponding apertures '18 ativariousupositions oi? the ring. "lhis ring is provided with peripheriai gearA teeth n4 which mesh with the teeth or the gearA mbut the ring has a dineren't number-oi' teeth than the gear d so that, as the gear Ilz-and toothed ring 6u rotate with the gear ne, the toothed ring `will also rotate relative to the gear 42 and tne'outer ciutcnmember. As a relatively slow rotation oi` the ring relative to the outer clutch member is sulicient ythe diierence betweenthe number or teeth on the ring and the number oi teeth oi the gear can be"re1ative ly small, one ring tooth more or less than the' iiumoeroi teeth in the gear 4Z-naving been found sunioient to provide an adequate speed or the The inner clutch member 24 is resilientlyurged in a direction to fdisengage the Yclutchbythecompression springwuwhich acts between the rela.-

rmg relative to the outer clutch member. ltlmore thanv one aperture uz is provided in the ring, these preferably may be sospaced that only one of the apertui'eslt will be'uiicovered at a time,`

as is particularly illustrated in 'ii-'ig'. 2 .which the top aperture le' oi' the outer clutch `n ieinber and the top aperture 82 oi' tlie ring aire shown in registry. In this ligure, nine equallyu spaced apertures 82, aieshowii in the ring so that the apertures .'18 are successively opened.y 'As the.` ring.80.-rotates thegroove in the'outer'clutch member.theapertures lilare uncovered in a pre--i movable` relative to; :said liquid` actuated :devic tofccntrolzthefopeningso saideporte;;`` r, l Y

" 62 Inl 'combination' fwitlr1a "rotata-bfleglioluim` actuated device',` havingiiteles'eoping: parts delnr-I ingr-an.. expansibeivliquid receptacle; ai deisllldgf'r;`

ingzcmechanismicompris-ing;;meansznctatable.with;tr

one part of said deviceand dening an annular;

determinedrcrderffor an: interval depending-.infini the .ciroumferentialnyentenir onthe apertures? and: the relative speed of rotation: Qt'he irngsilil'ie;

intervals;beingfsuicentetorpermitrthe complete discharge of sludge, orsediment,fromtheicorff respsmding:` radial: Apoclretsf. theai outergclutchf. members -f ,L fg@ C While a suitable mechanical embodiment has been Jhereinabrrreldescrihedand illustrated in the accompanying drawings .for the purpose of disclosing the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular arrangement so illustrated and described, but such changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the various parts may be :resorted to as come within the scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having now described the invention so that others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, when it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is as follows: i

l. Means for eliminating sludge from a hollow oil containing rotatable member comprising, a

plurality of depressions located around the periphery of the inside of said hollow member for collecting said sludge, each depression having an aperture leading therefrom to the exterior of said member,mechanism covering said apertures and preventing oil flow therethrough, and means for moving said mechanism relative to said hollow member to periodically uncover individual apertures to -allow oil and sludge to flow momentarily therethrough.

2. Means for eliminating sludge from a hollow oil containing rotatable member comprising, a plurality of depressions located around the periphery of the inside of said hollow member for collecting said sludge, said depressions having apertures leading therefrom to the exterior of said member', mechanism normally covering said aperturesand preventingoil flow therethrough, i

and means for continuously moving said mechanism relative to said hollow member to momentarily uncover individual apertures.

3. Means l'or eliminating sludge from a hollow oil containing rotatable member comprising a plurality of depressionsl located around the periphery oi' the inside of said hollow member for collecting said sludge, each of said depressions having an aperture vleading therefrom to the exterior of said member, mechanism constituting closures ior each ofsaid apertures, and means to rotate said mechanism relative to said hollow member i'or periodically opening said apertures.

4. Means for eliminating sludge from a hollow oil containing rotatable member comprising, a plurality of depressions located around the periphery of the inside of said hollow member r'or collecting said sludge, said depressions having apertures leading therei'rom to the exterior or" said member, mechanism constituting closures ior each of said apertures, and means for periodically opening said closures momentarily one at a time.

5. vIn combination with a rotatable liquid actuated device having telescoping parts denng an expansible liquid receptacle, adesludging mechanism comprising, means rotatable with one part of said device and dening an annular chamber having radially extending pockets in communication with said liquid receptacle, a port leading from each pocket to the exterior of said device, and a device carried by said liquid actuated device in alignment with said ports and chambers havihgr radially extending; packets in communica-tionv withy :said: liquidrreceptacla. ai,

port leading from each' pocket to the exterior of said device, said ports beingk disposed in circumferential alignment around said device, and an annular member carried by said device over-A lying said ports, said annular member being rotatable relative to said device and having at least one opening therein registerab-le with said l ports in sequence to open said ports.

7. In a fluid operated friction clutch having Y an expansible chamber into which fluid under pressure is fed for forcingthe driving and driven parts of said clutch into frictional engagement, a plurality of radially extending pockets in said clutch communicating with said chamber to rei an expansible chamber into which fluid under pressure is fed for forcing the driving and driven parts of said clutch into frictional engagement, a' plurality of radially extending pockets in said clutch communicating with said chamber to collect sediment from the fluid fed into said chamber, an aperture leading from each pocket to the exterior of said clutch, said clutch having an external groove therein in the'portion thereof through which said apertures extend, and an annular member in said grooves rotatable relative to said clutch, and at least one opening in said annular member registerable with said apertures in sequence. A

9. In a fluid operated friction clutch having an expansible chamber into which fluid under pressure is fed for forcing the driving and driven parts of said clutch yinto i'rictional engagement, a plurality of radially extending pockets in said clutch communicating with said chamber to receive sediment from the huid fed into said chamber, an aperture leading from each pocket to the exterior of said clutch, the total area of said apertures being `greater than the permissible leakage area from said clutch, and a member carried by said clutch covering said apertures, said member being movable relative to said clutch and having an opening for periodically uncoverf ing said apertures.

10. In a fluid operated friction clutch having a driven part provided with peripherial gear teeth 'f f engageable with the teeth of a clutch driven spur gear, and a driving part' telescopically associated i with said driven part to provide between said' parts an expansible chamber into which iluid under pressure is fed for lforcing the driving and driven parts of said clutch intofrictional engagement, a plurality of radially extending pook-- ets in said clutch communicating with said exleakage area from said clutch, and a member mounted on said clutch covering saidr apertures, said `member having gear teeth meshing with the teeth of said clutch driven gear for rotating said member relativeV to said clutch and at least one opening for uncoveringsadi apertures* in sequence.

11. The arrangement as set forth claim. 10`

in` which the gear ratio between said clutch drivaas-0,024'.

GUY E. BEARDSLEY, JR. 

